New speed limit for Dublin city centre

I think anything done to close the city centre to traffic is a good thing.

In many cities like Rome and Florence the city centre is closed to traffic (except for residents and public transport). You don't see the local shops in these cities complaining about it as obviously it allows a lot more people (not cars) to move about the area.

It's only in Dublin that you get this petty lobby of cash register handlers crying how the city centre is becoming one big footpath. Honestly, it's about making the city more liveable to the people.

Just as well the city planning is not fully in the hands of the grubby shopkeepers or the whole of Dublin would be like a drive-by Mc Donald.
 
I think you'll find that other cities have a far superior public transport system to Dublin.
 
Well his point was that in many cities like Rome and Florence people are happy to leave their cars at home. In Dublin that's not a viable option for many people as it involves longs waits for buses or long treks to the nearest bus stop. Not to mention the completely unreliable service with scheduled buses not turning up or sailing past packed full. If the authorities want to prevent people bringing cars into the city they have to provide an efficient and reliable public transport system.
 
liaconn said:
Well his point was that in many cities like Rome and Florence people are happy to leave their cars at home. In Dublin that's not a viable option for many people as it involves longs waits for buses or long treks to the nearest bus stop. Not to mention the completely unreliable service with scheduled buses not turning up or sailing past packed full. If the authorities want to prevent people bringing cars into the city they have to provide an efficient and reliable public transport system.
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Well yes, I agree with you there.
 
bit of a chcken and egg scenario there. The city managers will increase public transport services when demand for it raises, the same way they cut bus routes because there is not enough demand.

I think they are going about it the right way; making it not so easy for car owners to access the city centre and hopefully gradually closing it off.

They tried to close it completely late last year only to backtrack after shop owners claimed that people without cars do no shop as much as non car users.

I think it's terrible that city planners should be forced to make their decisions based on such drivel. For a city hoping to attract tourists it surely seems daft not to invest in making city centre more attractive than a motorway bypass.
 
Capt. Beaky said:
:confused:
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Correct, making Dublin more hostile to shoppers, they want to convey goods in their cars, the less physically able who need cars and commuters who want to shop let alone the businesses who make deliverys is killing commerce in the city.

Dublin is not a cycle park for the few in Dublin city council who want to turn it into one but a city that should be accessible for all including business. 30kph crawl zones harms all forms of business as well as forcing and encouraging shoppers to use suburban centres.

If you do not believe check out the closed shops in Grafton St, the type of shops that are now left and then how well Dundrum shopping centre is doing. The council decisions against private motorists because of the few pro cycling looneys in Dublin city council is hurting commerce and lowering the environment in Dublin, making it a less pleasant place to be.

This enjoyable link says it all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWCLlMzX-dA
 
wavejumper said:
I think it's terrible that city planners should be forced to make their decisions based on such drivel. For a city hoping to attract tourists it surely seems daft not to invest in making city centre more attractive than a motorway bypass.
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And never mind the people who actually LIVE in the city and its suburbs and need to be able to get around, shop, keep businesses going etc.... that's all just drivel:mad:
 
werner said:
If you do not believe check out the closed shops in Grafton St, the type of shops that are now left and then how well Dundrum shopping centre is doing. The council decisions against private motorists because of the few pro cycling looneys in Dublin city council is hurting commerce and lowering the environment in Dublin, making it a less pleasant place to be.
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Do you think that perhaps the huge rents and hugely expensive parking might also be factors in steering consumers out to the 'burbs too?
 
werner said:
If you do not believe check out the closed shops in Grafton St,
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The shops on Grafton street closing has nothing at all to do with the council trying to introduce lower speed limits. It has everything to do with the massive high rents and the fact that people in general are not spending as much as they used to due to less money in their pockets.

Dundrum may be packed every weekend but that has more to do with people using the centre to spend some time socialising in different ways and not everyone is buying either.
 
RonanC said:
Dundrum may be packed every weekend but that has more to do with people using the centre to spend some time socialising in different ways and not everyone is buying either.
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+1 - There seems to be more of a social element to Dundrum. Its not as busy as it used to be and when you look around there are a lot fewer poeple carrying bags.
 
I agree. A lot of people just go there because they're bored and looking for something 'to do'. You will often see packed malls while a lot of the shops are absolutely empty. The restaurants and coffee shops do good business however, as Dundrum seems to be mainly used as a meeting place by some people.
 
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